I found this Super C south a Warrensburg, MO on a traders lot. The tractor ran rough but did run and hold good oil pressure. The hydraulic "touch control system" seemed to work fine as well. A part holding the steering shaft was broken. The brakes did not work and the manifold had a welded piece covering a hole. The weld was breaking and only partially covered the hole. The back tires were fair but mis-matched, the front tires were poor. The tractor had an add on three-point hitch that used the tractor's lift arms to operate. The seller said the tractor came from Arkansas. It looked like it had been sitting for a while. Perfect for what I wanted.

What I find interesting in fixing old tractors is the accumulation (60 years for this tractor) of wear, tear, dents, dirt, grim, and general use. I am guessing this tractor has sat much of the past few years. In every place imaginable I found wasp and dirt dabber nest. The brakes were packed tight full of grease and dirt. One day when I entered the garage there was a large pool of oil on the floor under the pan. It did not look to be from a main seal. I had not run the engine for several weeks so why today did it decide to leak? I removed the pan and found about a half inches of goop in the bottom of the pan. I suppose with an oil change the detergent in the new oil broke down the goop and it started leaking through. Upon clean up, I discovered some small pin holes in the pan. I researched "Farmall oil pan holes" on the Internet and found this to be somewhat common. Air bubbles form next to the pan along with moisture which will allow rust to begin, even in an oil pan (rust forms with a chemical reaction between water and oxygen). The fix suggested was to braze, solder, or use JB weld. The key was to have it clean and free of grease when repairing. I chose to solder the holes and then cover with JB Weld. We will see how it does over time.

September 13, 2014Installed a new starter gear (worn one at right). Other than breaking the tractor behind the engine block, it was pretty simple. Brother Arthur came down and helped. That makes four of us that has gotten in on the repair/restoration of old tractors. Also started the installation of new rear axle seals.